Band of Brothers: This is the final (we promise) St. Patrick's Day report for 2010.

The Hibernian-Newman Club hosted its 46th St. Patrick's Day Luncheon on, wouldn't you know it, March 17 at the St. Francis Hotel.

The lively lunch heralded the club's founding members - Val McKeever, Jack Grealise, Richard Wall, Francis O'Neilland Richard Siggins - as Hibernians of the Year for their super support of campus ministry through the San Francisco Archdiocese.

Yet the delightful keynote speech was delivered by an unlikely Irishman: former 49ers President Carmen Policy.

"Carmen is a member of one of the lost tribes of Ireland," joked Anne Marie Conroy. "The very lost tribe known as O'Policy."

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As he cradled the crowd in his hands with wide-ranging admiration for, and gentle teasing about, the Irish, it was easy to see why many folks like to whisper that Policy should be drafted for mayor.

"I'm sure you're wondering, 'How did a man who arrived in America by boat, landed at Ellis Island with a lot of vowels throughout his name, end up as your speaker today?' " asked Policy.

He then launched into a long, winding and highly fictionalized tale about an unwed Irishwoman of loose morals who gave birth to him. And as adored as he was, she loved her second son, also born out of wedlock, even better.

Policy then called upon his "brother." And the crowd collapsed in laughter when Policy's good pal former Mayor Willie Brown joined him onstage.

"I can see why Mom liked you better," joked Policy to Brown. "You look more Irish."

Big screen: On Wednesday, gallerist Claudia Altman-Siegel hosted a kickoff for the 53rd San Francisco International Film Festival at her 49 Geary St. gallery with the fine folks of the S.F. Film Society.

Newly appointed SFFS Director of Programming Rachel Rosen, who is returned to the Film Society following eight years of programming stints in Los Angeles, said that under the leadership of Film Society Executive Director Graham Leggat, the Film Society has developed into a year-round celebration of film and education programs.

"Much in our programming is not as 'new' or 'different' as people might imagine," said Rosen. "Our goal is to screen films which inspire film lovers to say, 'You had to be there, because you'll never see it happen like that again.' "

The festival's closing night on May 6 features comedian, red-carpet heckler and plastic surgery aficionado Joan Rivers and her documentary, "A Piece of Work."

"Some people were surprised by that choice," Rosen says. "But that's exactly what our festival does best: This film will expand on what you think of Rivers and what you think you know about her."

Big screen P.S.: SFFS board members are also getting into the act this year with festival world premieres at the Kabuki of their own projects.

On May 3, filmmaker, newspaperman, financier and longtime SFFS supporter William Hearst III premieres "The Practice of the Wild," a documentary featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Gary Snyderand a lifelong conversation about the arts he's shared with his friend and fellow poet-novelist Jim Harrison.

The film, co-produced by Hearst and Harrison, captures the friends ruminating on such topics as Google and Zen koans as they ramble around the pristine Central Coast wilderness that encompasses that little Hearst family ranch known as San Simeon.